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I wonder what "informed consent" truly entails. When someone donates their body "to science," they are likely picturing anonymous dissection in a medical school
by OldfieldFund 1y ago
I wonder what "informed consent" truly entails. When someone donates their body "to science," they are likely picturing anonymous dissection in a medical school lab for the benefit of students.
- fhdkweig 1y agoSometimes they are just used to test bombs. "A body donated to science - but used to test bombs" 6 August 2019 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49198405 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49198405
- toast0 1y agoI would think informed consent would include some specific categories relating to how the body may be used, and specific approval or disapproval of those; then actually following through on those uses, and if there's no need for a body for those uses, either returning it to the estate or disposing of it through burial or cremation as per the wishes of the donor. When donor bodies get used in ways that weren't generally practiced when donated and weren't specifically consented to, that's almost certainly not informed consent, even if there is a blanket consent 'to science'. IMHO, being exhibited in novel ways is fine if it's specifically consented to, but not otherwise. Especially in cases where the body was preserved for many years and then a novel use is made, it seems like you'd need new and specific consent, which maybe you can obtain from the estate, but certainly not from the donor.